Veterans Give Back

Josh Tredinnick (Left), US Army Veteran and CACI employee, presents Tom DeWitt, Aurora Foundation Founder, with a donation from CACI in June 2014.

May is a month that honors many wonderful blessings - Mothers; those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the USA; and more recently, Military Appreciation. Along with recognizing the ones who died to keep our nation free, we have the opportunity to look back and thank our military for their service.

Since 2008, Aurora has had the chance to work with many talented men and women who are not only passionate about furthering their education and career, but also about giving back to the communities and organizations that helped them get to where they are today. One such veteran who came through Aurora's internship program is a young man named Josh Tredinnick. Josh came to Aurora as a senior at George Mason University, and completed his degree in Criminal Justice in December of 2013.

A wounded warrior and Army veteran, Josh spent 8 months in 2009 recovering from deployment injuries at Walter Reed before pursuing his degree. His aim was to be able to provide for his family: his wife and high-school sweetheart, Erica, and their three sons: Miles, Mason, and Micah.

He found the Aurora Foundation through an advertisement at the GMU Office of Military Services, and after applying, quickly found a paid internship working with CACI's Office of Veteran Support, Diversity & Inclusion. He was the third Aurora Student Veteran Intern to complete an internship with CACI under the leadership of Ms. Denyse Gordon, a USAF Reservist, and Eric Bartch, USMC. Once completing the internship, Josh was offered a job with CACI, and has since worked for them full-time as a veteran recruiter for the company.

But Josh's determination to serve and give back did not end there. In fact, with the support of his colleagues, Josh and CACI's Office of Veteran Support, Diversity & Inclusion gave a generous donation to the Aurora Foundation in June of 2014. During the ceremony in CACI's Arlington Headquarters, Josh noted that his Aurora internship was a "great learning experience. I hope to see this partnership continue, and see this donation assist other veterans going through the "Boots to Books to Business" transition."

Veterans all over the map continue to give back to their communities. We at the Aurora Foundation are grateful that veterans like Josh remember how Aurora helped them, and are willing and able to return the favor. This month of May, remember the military men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, and know that the ones who were blessed with more time on this Earth are doing so many things to make this world a better place. We appreciate our men and women in the military, and are grateful for all their sacrifices, in and out of uniform.